The present invention relates to an agent for bloat-prevention or -treatment. Further, the present invention relates to an agent for bloat-prevention or -treatment which comprises at least a saccharide fatty acid ester and fatty acid salt.
Bloat is a disease wherein the rumen and a reticulum of a ruminant, for example, cattle, sheep etc. distend severely due to the fermentative gas accumulating therein. Bloat is one of the most horrible diseases in feeding beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep etc., because ruminants affected with bloat fall into a state of inappetence resulting in the reduction in growth rate or milk yield and, to cite an extreme case, they are suffocated to death.
Though there have been various theories in relation to the cause of bloat, the established theory is today that the feeding of large quantities of legume pasture, or the feeding of large quantities concentrate feed etc. cause bloat. Namely, it is considered as follows: Much legume pasture being fed, the contents of a rumen become liable to foam owing to the actions of foaming substances, such as saponin, vegetable protein etc., contained in a legume pasture, and a roughage being fed insufficiently and much concentrate feed being fed, an abnormal fermentation in the rumen, the viscosity increase of the liquid contained therein, etc., become liable to occur, so that in both cases the exhaustion of gas by eructation is impeded resulting in the excessive distensions of the rumen and the reticulum.
There are known methods for preventing or treating bloat as follows: (1) a method in which much oil is sprinkled on a pastureland; (2) a method in which the amount of a roughage used together with a concentrate feed is kept proper; (3) a method wherein there is used every time a drinking water or a mineral block to which has been added a defoaming agent, for example, silicone, polypropylene glycol (another name: polyoxypropylene glycol), polyoxypropylene/polyoxyethylene block-copolymer; (4) a treating method in which a stomach catheter or a trocar is used for exhausting gas and (5) a treating method employing the administration of much defoaming agent, for example, silicone, polypropylene glycol, polyoxypropylene/polyoxyethylene block-copolymer, mineral oil, vegetable oil etc. However, these methods have respectively the following disadvantages as follows: Namely, the method (1) requires much labor and is not economical, because of sprinkling oil on a large pastureland, and the method (2) has the problem that this method is inconsistent with the system for fattening beef cattle rapidly by feeding much concentrate feed, said system being employed in Japan etc., and it is difficult to achieve excellent results by this method, and the method (4) requires an expert and attended with a strong possibility of the relapse being repeated so long as the cause of bloat is not removed; and though the methods (3) and (5) can show a considerable good effect, the problem in using most defoaming agents known today is that they cause digenstion disturbance owing to the long continuous administration of a defoaming agent, or owing to the administration of much defoaming agent being done at a time. Accordingly, it is today expected that agents with better efficiencies in defoaming effect, etc. and with an improved safety will be produced.